Parts by Rabe

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Like many of Tallinn’s master artists, Johann Valentin Rabe was skilled in carving ornamentation, but inept in carving figures. Rabe’s carved and draped plant leaves with ribbon ornamentation are carved expertly, but his statues are stiff and inept compared to Ackermann’s statues. They are quite far removed from the ideal based on antique art that came into fashion during the Renaissance.

The statue of Christ carved by Rabe is crudely moulded and its rear side has been surprisingly left uncovered: nothing of the kind can be seen in any of Ackermann’s works. Regardless of how high up Christ’s statue is, it is always modelled with great care and covered with a loincloth.

6 years ago